


Cotton Candy and Red Pepper

by authorinprogress97



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: (i love that this is a tag), 97 Line Shenanigans, Angst with a Happy Ending, Breaking Up & Making Up, But only if you want her to be, Canon Compliant, Everyone Ships Jihoon/Sera, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Hundredth Day Anniversary, Idiots in Love, Lee Jihoon | Woozi is Whipped, Making Out, Mingyu Is Caught In The Crossfire, Poor Chan, Post-debut, Pre-Relationship, Pre-debut, Producer Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Romantic Fluff, Scheming 97 Line, Self-Insert, Seokmin Is A Good Best Friend, Sera can be a reader too honestly, Sera is Seokmin's best friend, Smooching, Smoochus Interruptus, There is no plot, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, as he always is when it comes to sera, cringe is dead self-inserts are in, dumbasses in love, i mean they're not sunshine and rainbows but yknow, i'm sorry i did this to you, just a little bit, minor jealousy, movie night shenanigans, only a little bit, technically, there is only fluff, this fic is so self-indulgent and i will not apologise for that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2020-07-27 21:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20052883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/authorinprogress97/pseuds/authorinprogress97
Summary: Lee Jihoon isn't the easiest person to date. Neither is Park Sera. Somehow, they're in a relationship.They’d break up, but that would be too troublesome. Looks like they're stuck with each other now.[Snapshots of Jihoon and Sera's relationship over the years ft. the rest of SEVENTEEN sometimes]





	1. A (not so) Lazy Sunday

**Author's Note:**

> i'm up in some good ol' oc loving with seventeen, my dudes. this is lowkey a self-insert, because down with cringe culture and up with self-loving. we need more self-inserts. stan svt/you because you're worth it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sera and Jihoon (mistakenly) plan an early morning date. Neither of them are morning people. Welp.

_ We should wake up early on Sundays, _ he said. _ Let’s go on an early morning date_, he said. _ Of _ course _ I can wake up at eight_, he said. 

“What a load of bull,” Sera mutters, downing her coffee and trying to keep her eyes open. She’s been trying to call Jihoon for the past half an hour, but the only thing she gets is his voicemail. As cute as the recording is (she had helped him record it, after all), she'd rather hear Jihoon's sleepy morning voice telling her to leave him alone and get some sleep.

“This is what I get for dragging myself out of bed at seven-thirty in the godforsaken morning,” she grumbles to herself, pulling her scarf up to protect her lips and nose from the biting cold. “_Ooh_, if he's still asleep, I'll kill him myself.”

She angrily dials a number on her phone, the tapping of her fingernails against the screen doing nothing to assuage her irritation. SHINEE’s _ Why So Serious _ plays briefly before a cheerful _ hey, Sera-yah! _ filters through the speakers.

“He’s not awake, is he?” she says flatly, the early morning robbing her of her cheerful disposition.

Soonyoung lets out a laugh, coughing a little at the end. “_You’re not talking about Jihoon, are you?_” He’s met with stony silence. “_Oh my god, you really are. It’s Jihoon. What do you think?_”

Sera crushes the empty cup of coffee, tossing it into the nearest trashcan (_I should’ve kept it and thrown it at Lee Jihoon, that utter pile of trash_). “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“_Eh? Here as in the dorm? Wait a minute, he’s not _ – ”

She hangs up abruptly. She’s already plotting the several ways she’s going to wake up her date – each idea more cruel than the last. Maybe she’ll pour ice water on him, or better yet – she’ll set Seungkwan loose on Jihoon’s sleepy ass. The younger vocalist hasn’t done it in a while, too afraid of Jihoon’s wrath, but maybe if she convinces him that she can keep him safe…

She waits impatiently for Soonyoung to buzz her in, feeling a little less annoyed now that she’s out of the cold and in the warm building that houses SEVENTEEN’s dorm. Letting out a sigh, she unwinds the scarf, finally letting out her first smile of the day. “Hey, Soonyoung oppa.”

“Wow, you’re really awake,” he laughs, holding his arms open for a hug. She complies, snuggling into his warmth a little. “Oh, hey, don’t get too comfortable. Jihoon might kill me if he sees us like this.”

“A hurricane could blow him away and he wouldn’t notice,” she grumbles, clinging on tighter. “You’re warm and I’m sleepy. Gimme a break.”

Soonyoung’s chest reverberates against her cheek as he chuckles, shuffling back so they’re fully in the apartment. It’s another minute before Sera peels herself from him, finally feeling warm enough to be sociable.

The dorm, as usual, is a mess. The maknaes are sprawled in the living room, sending her sleepy greetings as they watch cartoons on the small TV they have in the dorm. Sera pauses to ruffle Seungkwan’s and Chan’s hair, causing both boys to let out half-hearted whines.

“Did he plan a date in the morning?” Soonyoung asks curiously as she lets her coat and bag drop to the ground and busies herself in the kitchen.

She lets out a sigh, easily finding the coffee and a clean mug. “Yeah,” she grumbles, filling a kettle with water and waiting for it to boil. “My mistake. _ Oh, Sera, I can _ totally _wake up for a morning date, I’m Lee Jihoon!_” she mocks, cracking a smile when Soonyoung snorts.

“He doesn’t sound like that,” he points out. “I wouldn't put it past him to spout shit like that, though. But…” His lips twitch. “Did he really say you guys would meet up at eight?”

“Nine,” she amends, wrinkling her nose. “This guy… I bet he’s still sleeping soundly, isn’t he?”

Soonyoung leans against the doorframe, humming thoughtfully. “If I say yes, does this mean I get to see you try and wake him up?”

“Maybe. He’s totally still asleep. That _ bitch_.”

“You’re the one dating him,” the elder chuckles, ruffling her hair. “Don’t get too mad, okay? He means well. He just wanted to spend time with you.”

The confession is nice to hear, even if it’s a second-hand one from one of Jihoon’s best friends. Nonetheless, Sera doesn’t stop looking upset, although a pleased blush colours her cheeks. “If he wanted to spend time together, he’d be awake now,” she huffs just as the kettle starts to sing. She shuts the gas, lifting the kettle onto a cooler grate and letting it cool. “I’m going to kill him.”

“You go do that.” Amusement dances in Soonyoung’s eyes as he leaves to bother the maknaes. “Don’t get too loud.”

Sera quietly makes her way to the room Jihoon shares with the others, trying not to wake the others. She knows just how hard they practice, day in and day out. Coupled with school, she doesn’t know how they handle it. She knows she could never do that. She can barely handle school. Because of that, she admires every single one of them, from Seungcheol to little Chan, who's almost like the little brother she never knew she wanted.

Just as she expected, Jihoon is still in bed with his covers pulled over his head. His back is to her, but even if it wasn’t, he wouldn’t see her coming.

“Lee Jihoon,” she says sternly, tugging at his blanket hard. She nearly lands on her ass, not expecting the strength of a sleeping Jihoon to be greater than hers. “Ow, shit!”

“Shhhh,” Jihoon mumbles, an arm unearthed from the blankets to swipe at her. “Sleep time.”

“Oh my fucking god,” she whispers, trying not to laugh at the Jihoon burrito. “What happened to _ I can wake up at any time, so long as you’re not late_?”

He wiggles around and it takes all of Sera’s willpower not to laugh. _ He’s like a little caterpillar_, she thinks amusedly, irritation replaced by the general feeling of being around Jihoon.

“Why are you here?” he croaks, voice rough from sleep. He squints at her, grasping her leg like he can’t believe she’s here. “Is the sun up?”

“It’s been up for a good two hours. Lee. Jihoon.”

Said male groans, hiding under the covers again so he can escape from the angry girl in front of him. “Don’t say my name like that,” he says in a vague whine. “It’s too early!”

“_Oh _ no,” Sera hisses, grabbing the blankets and tugging insistently. She raises her voice slightly so Jihoon can hear her over his wordless protests. “No. I was up at seven-thirty in the fucking _ morning_, because I was sure you’d be able to wake up this early. I swear to fucking god, Lee Jihoon, if you don’t get up in ten seconds, I’m going to make you _ suffer _.”

“You’re already making me suffer,” he grumbles. “Gimme five minutes – hours. Gimme five hours.”

On any other day, she’d love to. Honestly, she would. Heck, on any other day, she’d crawl under the covers with him so she’ll wake up to his stupidly cute face and his stupidly cute smile and possibly just spend the day watching stupid videos in bed.

But no. Not _ today _ . She woke up _ early _ , got dressed for a proper _ morning _ date with Jihoon, who’s _ not _ a morning person and now she’s going to kill him. She’s going to smother him with his own goddamned pillow.

“Don’t do anything rash,” Seungcheol slurs, stirring from his mattress in front of his desktop. “You know he’ll make you pay.”

Sera waves her arms angrily, trying not to just reach out and smack the sleep out of Jihoon. “He said he wanted to take me out on a morning date! In the morning!” She exhales loudly. “I’m getting some ice water and pouring it on him.”

“_No_,” Jihoon manages through the sheets. “Leave me alone, devil. Let me _ sleep_.”

She glares at him like she’s hoping he’ll spontaneously combust. She knows Jihoon can be frustrating to wake up, but this is reaching a whole new level. She’s sleep deprived and annoyed and she even put effort into her outfit, because he made the effort – because he was _ supposed _ to make the effort to wake up early on a Sunday.

_ I’m going to smash his guitar or something, I swear. No, I’m going to smash _ him _ with his guitar. _

Sera takes in a deep breath, ready to rip a new one into him, then stops. An idea pops into her mind suddenly and she has to bite back a smirk (not that it matters, because Jihoon is still trying to return to dreamland). She’s not even sure if it’ll get Jihoon to wake up, but she’ll probably get _ something _ out of it.

“Fine,” she sighs, utterly defeated. She rocks back on her heels. “Fine. No more morning dates, okay? I give up.” Stretching languidly, Sera yawns theatrically. “I’m pretty tired, so I guess I’ll take a nap too. We can always go out later…”

“Okay…?” Jihoon says cautiously, unravelling from his covers a little. “So you’ll join me…?” There’s a hopeful lilt in his gravelly voice.

She’s going to enjoy crushing it.

“Nah.” She grins widely, pointing her thumb in the vague direction of the sleeping leader. “I can sleep outside, cuddle with the maknaes and all that. Or maybe I’ll go join Seungcheol oppa. He seems comfy. And if I’m not feeling sleepy, he’ll probably talk to me.”

“Yeah, okay…” the sleepy male says drowsily, her words not quite making sense to him just yet. “You go do that.”

“Thanks for your permission, Jihoonie oppa,” she chuckles, ruffling his hair before backing off towards Seungcheol’s slumbering body. She counts down silently – _ five _ – and tries not to look too smug.

Tugging her overshirt off, she tosses it – _ four _ – onto the foot of Jihoon’s bed.

Jihoon shifts – _ three_.

Even from this far, Sera can make out the shape of his lips – _ two _ – as he frowns. She stifles a snicker as she sits down next to Seungcheol, hand hovering over the sleeping leader’s figure.

She bites her lip as Jihoon mouths her words – _ one _ – like he had been hoping he had heard her wrong.

“What the _ fuck _ did you just _ say_?” he bellows, bolting upright and hitting his head against the bottom of the bunk above his. “_Ow, fuck!_”

Nearly choking on her laughter, Sera smiles serenely at the raging male, still swathed in his blankets. She thinks his bed hair makes him look especially attractive, but only because it’s paired with the fiery glare he’s shooting in her general direction. “What’s wrong?” she asks, blinking innocently. Before Jihoon can burn a hole on her hand, she drops it. “I thought you said I could go nap with Seungcheol oppa?”

As if responding to his name, Seungcheol groans and rolls over, part of his blanket shifting to reveal his shirtless state. Jihoon’s pale face turns red, only accentuating his rage (and making him seem cuter to her, not that he ever needs to know that).

He sputters for a moment, scrambling for words his sleep-addled brain refuses to provide him. After a moment, he settles on a stern, heartfelt, “_No_.” His mouth opens and close for a moment, looking between his angry… date-person and his best friend. “Come here.”

“Don’t want to,” Sera retorts immediately, lips set stubbornly.

“He’s not even wearing a shirt,” Jihoon hisses.

Sera shrugs, utterly unperturbed. “It’s just a shirt. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

He imitates a goldfish for another few moments, then groans, sprawling back on the bed. “Ugh, fine. You win; I’m up. Happy?”

“Yes, very,” she answers immediately, crawling over to his bed so she can get her overshirt and slip it on. “But for the record, I wouldn’t have crawled in with him. Probably.”

“_Probably?_” Jihoon scowls. “You wanna try that statement again?”

Sera tilts her head, one eye shutting as she tries to look like she’s considering his words. “Not really,” she replies after a brief pause, smiling at him cheekily. “I mean, have you _ seen _ Seungcheol oppa?”

“Watch it,” he warns, bottom lip jutting out a little as she leans over, her hair tickling the sides of his face. “Why’d you agree to go out so early anyway? You know I hate mornings. I know _ you _ hate mornings.”

“Well, that’s true,” she drawls, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. In the early morning light, the newly-dyed highlights in her hair catch the sunlight, shimmering a lighter colour than her natural hair colour. “But, you know, some things are more important than sleep.”

“Like what?” he grumbles, the look in his eyes defiant – daring her to find a reason to interrupt precious sleep.

She hums thoughtfully. “Hmm, like… spending time with you?” She smiles, corner of her eyes crinkling as she leans down and presses a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll wait outside while you wash up. No need to rush, it’s only nine anyway.”

The door shuts behind her softly. Jihoon just lies there for a moment, fingertips pressed against the spot she had kissed. He flushes, covering his face as he tries to imprint the sensation of her lips against his cheek into his mind.

“That’s not fair,” he protests weakly, even though she never hears it. “You can’t say stuff like that…” _You’ll make me fall for you even more. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here i am! back again with my bullshit! but better this time! because romance and fluff!
> 
> i've had this in my wips forever and i finally decided fuck it. so! enjoy! if you love jihoon/the thought of dating jihoon/being awkward with jihoon as much as i do, then feel free to hit me up on [twitter](https://twitter.com/serraminiauthor) or [tumblr](http://minteayoongimakesmewoozi.tumblr.com/). if you're interested in my svt-centric writings (or if you think i should move this to my svt blog uwu) then send me an ask over at [writing blog](http://svt-writers-club.tumblr.com/).
> 
> til the next one, sweeties uwu


	2. Just You and Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sera and Jihoon have an issue where they're constantly at each other's throats. Everyone else is convinced they'd get along... if they'd just put their egos away for a second.

So it turns out that everyone but Jihoon and Sera know they like each other. It's perfectly fine.

Except for when it's not.

“Am I the _ only _ one who sees a problem in this arrangement?” Seungkwan complains loudly. He’d worry about Jihoon and Sera hearing him, except they're too deep in their argument to care about the outside world. “What are they even arguing about?”

“Probably music or something,” Seokmin mutters, completely focused on his phone. Said device is promptly snatched from his hand, Seungkwan using it as a weapon to hit his hyung. “What did _ I _do?”

“You brought her here,” Seungkwan hisses. “Fix it!”

“It’s not my fault Jihoon hyung can't stop picking a fight with her! She's innocent, I swear.” Seokmin pauses, frowning slightly. “Okay, mostly innocent.” He pauses again, re-evaluating his words. He smiles sheepishly. “Um… Jihoon hyung starts the fights too! Go bother Seungcheol hyung about it.”

The eldest hyung shakes his head, making an X with his arms. “Nuh uh. No way. Forget it,” he says firmly. “I'm not going _ anywhere _ between that. They’ll bite my heads off!”

“Why not just get them to talk it out?” Chan suggests innocently. “I'm sure there's just a misunderstanding between them…”

The three hyungs turn to him with various looks of disbelief. The young teen shrinks into himself, regretting having said anything. “Um, never mind… forget I said – ”

“That’s so simple it might work,” Seungkwan whispers, eyes lighting up excitedly. He approaches the younger slowly; Chan’s too frozen to do anything other than stand there in shock as Seungkwan presses his cheeks together and plants a kiss on his forehead. “You're a genius!”

“Thanks… just – just don't do that again. Please.”

  


“Are you sure it's okay if I'm here?” Sera says, hands bundled in the pocket of her hoodie. She glances around, cap pulled down low over her face so they'll mistake her for a trainee. “Seokmin, if we get in trouble…”

“We won't get in trouble,” her friend assures her with a sunny grin. “Come on, have I _ ever _ steered you wrong?”

In contrast to Seokmin’s grin, Sera presses her lips into a thin line. “Where do you want me to start?” she says drily. “How about that time you convinced me to walk down that alley? Not the best idea. And remember the time you convinced me to slide down _ your _ school steps on a piece of cardboard? I thought I was going to die! Or the time you said we’d be _ absolutely _ safe going to – ”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Seokmin interrupts with a slight grimace. “I don’t have the best ideas… but I thought you wanted to see our practice room? You’ve only seen it on SEVENTEEN TV, right?”

“Well, yeah, but…” Her hesitation is palpable as she lingers outside the practice room. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.” Her voice lowers to a whisper. “What if they kick you out of the company?”

Seokmin’s smile softens at the edges as he punches her shoulder lightly. “Aww, you do care,” he teases.

Sera scowls, punching him back with twice as much force; Seokmin nearly goes flying from how unexpected the retaliation had been. “Shut up,” she sniffs haughtily. “I just don’t want you moping around about it, that’s all.”

“So tsun,” he cackles and this time, he really does go flying into the practice room from the force of her shove. Like the graceful dancer that he is, Seokmin ends up tripping over his feet and sprawling… right at Jihoon’s feet.

Sera opens her mouth, a few choice words on the tip of her tongue, but they die when she notices Choi Seungcheol and Lee Jihoon in the room with them. She immediately clamps her mouth shut, arm dropping from where she had contemplated choking Seokmin with the collar of his tacky shirt.

“Hello,” she says hastily, bowing a full ninety degrees in respect. “Sorry to disturb you!”

“You’re not disturbing us,” Seungcheol replies before Jihoon can. The elder keeps a steady hand on Jihoon’s shoulder. “Actually, we were just going to get lunch. Want to join us?”

“Huh?” Sera sputters, thrown completely off guard. “Um, I don’t…”

“Of course!” Seokmin chirps, dusting himself off and slinging an arm around the flustered girl’s shoulders. Jihoon’s eyes flick between the two ex-classmates, gaze fixed on the way Seokmin has an arm around the girl so comfortably. “Hyung’s paying, right?”

Seungcheol rolls his eyes. “When aren’t I? Jihoonie, let’s go!”

“Let me go get my things,” Jihoon sighs heavily, heading back to get his phone and wallet. While neither Sera or Jihoon are looking, Seokmin and Seungcheol share a meaningful gaze. The younger stretches, making a vague motion to the elder behind Sera’s head.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Seokmin says loudly, making sure his voice travels.

“Oh, yeah, me too,” Seungcheol pipes up, subtly winking at Seokmin. “You two hang tight here, we’ll be back _ real _ soon.”

Sera’s grips Seokmin’s arm tightly, tugging him closer. “Don’t leave me here alone with _ him_,” she hisses, jerking her head towards Jihoon. “Please, man, I’ll _ die_.”

“You’ll be _ fine_,” Seokmin assures her, patting her head condescendingly. “We’ll be gone like one minute. Don’t kill each other!”

She lets her friend slip from her grasp, trying not to look too panicked.

It doesn't work when she hears the lock to the practice room click shut.

She meets Jihoon’s eyes briefly, the two teens sharing a look that seemed to say _ they didn't… did they? _

“It’s for your own good,” Seokmin calls through the thin door. Sera facepalms, hand sliding down her face as she grits her teeth. “Talk it out and don’t fight anymore. We’ll see you in an hour!”

“An _ hour_?” Sera screeches, banging on the door. “Lee Seokmin, you get your ass back here right now or I’m gonna kill you!”

“I’ll kill you,” Jihoon says simply, voice practically a growl as bangs his fists on the door. The door shakes so fiercely that Sera almost thinks it’ll fall apart. “Choi Seungcheol. Open the goddamned door.”

“Nope,” Seungcheol cheerfully calls. “Later, Jihoonie. Play nice, okay?”

“_Choi Seungcheol!_”

They keep up the yelling and pounding of the door, even after they know the two idiots they call friends have long gone. After a while, they both stop, slumping against the door and sliding down. Their shoulders jostle as they stare at their pitiful reflections.

Jihoon sighs loudly, breaking the silence. “I told you they’d do something like this if we kept up with the act too long.”

Sera blows a wayward lock of hair out of her face. “I didn’t think they’d go _ this _ far,” she groans, letting her head fall back against the door.

“They think we hate each other,” Jihoon scoffs, crossing his arms and squinting at his reflection. “What idiots.”

“We should probably stop arguing so much around them, then,” the female says regretfully. Jihoon turns his head towards her slowly, eyebrow raised.

“No need to sound so heartbroken about it,” he deadpans. “What, you really don’t like me?”

“I do!” she replies hastily, scratching at her cheek to mask the pinkness of her skin. “It’s just that… you know, it’s kinda _ fun _ arguing with you like that.”

A small smile quirks the edges of Jihoon’s lips at her awkward confession. “Are you sure it’s not because you can get away with calling me a midget?”

“That was one time! And you were really getting on my nerves. Jerk,” she adds, almost as an afterthought. The amused glance she shoots him lets him know it’s all in jest. “And I happen to think it’s nice to hang out with someone who doesn’t mind butting heads with me, even if it’s almost all the time.”

A comfortable silence falls over both of them. Sera fidgets with her too-long sleeve nervously, bringing her phone out to look at the time. It’s been ten minutes. She lets out a small whine. “Oppa, I’m hungry.”

A rumbling punctuates the end of her sentence. Jihoon’s cheeks warm as they both look down at his stomach – the source of the sound. “Ugh, me too.” He scowls. “Those two idiots. I’m going to end them.”

“I’ll help you,” Sera huffs, drawing her legs close and resting her chin on her knees.

Jihoon glances around the room, spotting the adjoining door that leads to the practice room next door. He smirks, nudging the younger. “I bet they didn’t think to lock that door,” he says smugly, jerking his head towards their possible escape route.

A similar smirk draws itself across Sera’s lips. “Probably not,” she agrees. “Let’s get out of here and kill them.”

Jihoon rises to his feet, holding out a hand for Sera to haul herself up. She stares at the offered hand, blush darkening the slightest bit. She hesitates for a moment, then places her hand in his. She tries not to think of how warm his palm is, or notice how the tips of his fingers were slightly calloused from playing the guitar. He tightens his grip, helping her up to her feet.

_ This is nice_, she thinks to herself, squeezing his hand slightly. _ Yeah… this is _ really _ nice_.

“What?” Jihoon asks suddenly, jolting her out of her thoughts. “Do I have something on my face?”

“Yeah,” Sera answers without hesitation, smiling crookedly. “Your face. Come on, oppa, let's get out of here.”

A faint blush dusts Jihoon's cheeks, but it's ignored in favour of freedom and lunch. His grip tightens ever-so-slightly on her hand, which is still in his grasp. She turns back, smiling a little wider. Miraculously, she doesn't pull away, even though his palms are starting to sweat. He doesn't feel like pulling away either, despite usually disliking meaningless skinship with anyone other than Seungcheol or Soonyoung.

… It’s not an unpleasant feeling. He grins back a little, letting her drag him wherever she wants.

  


“Well?” Seungkwan demands, locking them all in one of the two rooms their dorm has. “How did it go? Are they dating now?”

“Yes,” Seungcheol answers, just as Seokmin sighs, “Definitely not.”

The two of them share a confused look, while Seungkwan groans. Chan and Mingyu (who had been dragged in because he had overheard them plotting) look between Seungcheol and Seokmin, who seem to be arguing with their facial expressions alone.

“They were holding hands,” Seungcheol says suddenly. “If that doesn't mean they're dating, I don't know what does.”

“Sera holds hands with everyone,” Seokmin argues, shaking his head. “They probably just resolved whatever problem they had with each other!”

“Jihoon hates people touching him! And he was _ blushing._”

“No offense, but Jihoon hyung doesn't have female friends. We all know he's easily flustered by girls.”

Seungkwan chops the air between his two hyungs forcefully, ending the argument before it starts to fully form. “Hey! Knock it out you two,” he exclaims, wilting a little when they both glare at him. “Hyungs. I meant hyungs.”

“So are they dating or not?” Mingyu asks, frowning as he tries to figure out what’s happening.

“We’re not.”

The five boys freeze, turning to the bunk they had thought was empty. How they had failed to notice Jihoon sitting there the whole time, none of them will know. They try not to flinch as Jihoon swings his legs off the bed and stands up.

“Does that answer your question?” Jihoon asks, smiling slightly. There's something sharp in that slight smile. “Please unlock the door. I need to go to the bathroom.”

Mutely (for once), Seungkwan unlocks the door, barely daring to breathe as Jihoon walks past him.

The silence that falls between them is awkward, with Seungcheol being the only one daring enough to break it. “Well,” he says, clapping his hands, “that’s that. They're not dating. End of discussion.”

Mingyu blinks. “How the hell had we not realised Jihoon hyung was there the whole time?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the support uwu i know this is a pretty tough genre to get into, but i'm glad there are people out there other than me who're enjoying these stories! i have a few more that are already written, so i hope you guys enjoy reading them as much as i enjoyed writing them :3
> 
> now it's time for the requisite self-promo! if you love jihoon/the thought of dating jihoon/being awkward with jihoon as much as i do, then feel free to hit me up on [twitter](https://twitter.com/serraminiauthor) or [tumblr](http://minteayoongimakesmewoozi.tumblr.com/). if you're interested in my svt-centric writings (or if you think i should move this to my svt blog uwu) then send me an ask over at [writing blog](http://svt-writers-club.tumblr.com/).
> 
> i'll catch you guys in the next chapter!


	3. Turn The Lights Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sera crashes movie night at the SEVENTEEN dorm. Or is it SEVENTEEN crashing Jihoon and Sera's date? Maybe a little bit of both (and a whole lot of screaming).

“Movie night!” Chan cheers, diving into the nest of blankets on the ground. The maknae knows better than to attempt to find a seat on the couch. “It feels like forever since we’ve had a break.”

“You guys just debuted,” Sera laughs, carrying two big bowls of popcorn and handing them off to her favourite date mate and Seokmin. Jihoon, having claimed the entire sofa, pats the seat next to him and smothers a grin as she slides in as close as possible, despite all the space available.

“Forever,” Seungkwan agrees, grabbing a handful of popcorn and popping the individual kernels in his mouth. “Who’s choosing the movie? I hope it’s not Junhui hyung.”

“What’s wrong with my movie choices?” the Chinese male pipes up, looking utterly offended.

“You choose Cantonese movies. Without subtitles,” Wonwoo adds, rising from a pile of blankets he had been buried under. “Do you hate us that much, Junhui-yah?”

“It was once!”

Jihoon sighs, resting his head on Sera’s shoulder. “Why did we join them for movie night?” he grumbles, one arm wrapping around her waist. “We should’ve bolted when we had the chance.”

She rolls her eyes, stealing some of the popcorn. “They’re your band members! Have some team spirit,” she chides. Jihoon stares at her blankly, nose wrinkled as he acknowledges her bullshit. She deflates a little. “I’m also broke and you’re kinda famous now. This was the best we could do.”

“There, that wasn’t so hard to admit, now was it?” he teases. In retaliation, Sera throws a popcorn kernel at his forehead, cracking a smile as it bounces off.

“The guys are fun to hang out with,” she says blithely, just as Mingyu catapults himself into the empty space to Sera’s left. “What the _ fuck_, Mingyu, my _ thigh_.”

“Sorry, didn’t see you there,” Mingyu answers absently. “Put it in, Hansol!”

“Don’t say it like that! It sounds like something out of a bad porno,” Seokmin complains, reaching over Jihoon and Sera to smack Mingyu.

Jihoon groans into his favourite person’s shoulder, causing her to bite back a giggle. She brushes her lips against his forehead, leaning back and melting into him. “What are we watching?” she laughs, nudging Seokmin’s side with her toe. Her friend shrieks from the sudden attack, head whipping around to glare at her. The only thing stopping him from retaliating is his grumpy hyung, wrapped around her and pretending the rest of them don’t exist.

“Some horror flick Jeonghan picked,” Seungcheol answers, scrolling through something on his phone. “The reviews are pretty good. It’s a Thai horror – ”

“Fuck no,” Hansol says suddenly, attempting to swim out of the maknae line cuddle pile. “I am _ not _ watching a Thai horror, not after what happened last time!”

“I didn’t mean to scream in your ear,” Seungkwan says defensively. “You scream once – ”

“You nearly destroyed my ear drum!”

“Is it too late to leave?” Jihoon asks desperately.

Sera simply snuggles in, leg wrapped around his so he can’t escape. “Yes, it is,” she says seriously. “I found my comfy spot. Now lay back and just enjoy. Jisoo oppa, hit the lights!”

A whimper filters through the air just before the opening title plays. Sera bites back a laugh as Seokmin blindly reaches for her leg, searching for comfort. _ What a scaredy cat. _

Un-fucking-believable.

Sera refuses to believe it, but the evidence is overwhelming, from the gentle puffs in her ear to the tightening of Jihoon’s grip every time she shifts. He’s _ asleep_.

Somehow, amidst Seungkwan’s yelling, Seokmin’s whimpering and Wonwoo swearing at every jumpscare, Jihoon had fallen asleep with his face buried in Sera’s shoulder. At first, she had thought he was scared, but as his limbs grew heavier, she realised he was just sleepy.

She lets out a soft sigh, running her fingers through his pink hair. He murmurs wordlessly, pulling her closer. A small smile quirks her lips.

She knows how hard he’s been working. She might complain about slaving away at high school, but Jihoon had worked so hard on the album. They’ve had two weeks of tough promotions and the reprieve must be a relief to her tiny producer.

Sera knows she should’ve called off the date the moment she video called him, but she wanted to see him so badly. It had been a relief to see him out of the studio and an even bigger one when Seungcheol had invited both of them to movie night. As much as Jihoon might whine about having their night interrupted, she knows that he was glad to stay home instead of going out.

She brushes his hair away tenderly, brushing his cheek gently. He smiles slightly, nuzzling her palm. “Sera,” he breathes and the girl blushes, choking back a laugh.

_ Is he dreaming about me? _ She bites back a grin, melting into his warmth as Wonwoo upends half a bowl of popcorn onto Minghao and Junhui, the jumpscare too much for him to handle.

“Silly,” she murmurs fondly, pressing a kiss to his cheek as she nestles against his side. She noses along the side of his neck, breathing in the scent of lingering coffee, Febreeze and sunshine – a scent that is uniquely Jihoon’s.

His grip tightens as he curls into her. Mingyu glances over, cringing at the content couple.

“He's really asleep?” he whispers, poking Sera’s shoulder.

The girl snickers, nodding. “Seems like it. You guys tired him out,” Sera teases, grinning as Mingyu gives her a horrified look. 

“Gross,” he gags. “Couples are so _ gross. _”

Before Sera can retort, a shriek pierces the air, causing a chain reaction as Wonwoo swears loudly. Mingyu screams, clinging to Sera and smacking Jihoon in the face while Seokmin clutches her leg like his life depends on it.

Jihoon lets out a soft groan, glaring at Mingyu while he yells out every prayer he knows and buries his face in his hands. Sera, in the midst of extracting herself from Mingyu’s unintentional headlock, jostles her Jihoon awake. Jihoon glares sleepily at the arm around her neck, wordlessly pulling her into his chest.

“Mine,” he grumbles, burying his face in her hair. “All _ mine_.” He promptly falls asleep again. 

Seokmin turns his head towards his unit leader slowly, disbelief evident in his gaze. “You've broken him,” he whispers to the female in the producer’s arms, cheeks turning scarlet. She doesn't answer, merely burying herself into his arms to hide a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can you believe sera and jihoon aren't officially dating yet????? what absolute nerds. i wanna tag slow burn but this ain't that kinda story. they're just dumbasses who like each other a lot. that's all.
> 
> if you love jihoon/the thought of dating jihoon/being awkward with jihoon as much as i do, then feel free to hit me up on [twitter](https://twitter.com/serraminiauthor) or [tumblr](http://minteayoongimakesmewoozi.tumblr.com/). if you're interested in my svt-centric writings (or if you think i should move this to my svt blog uwu) then send me an ask over at [writing blog](http://svt-writers-club.tumblr.com/).
> 
> if you really like my work and wanna support your not so local starving writer, i have a [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/authorinprogress) that you can donate to if you feel like it uwu
> 
> i'll see you guys in the next one :3


	4. Where You Fit Perfectly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sera says four dreaded words and Jihoon has Words. Like... feeling words.

“Should we break up?”

Jihoon’s heart grinds to a halt at those words. They’re not spoken in the heat of the moment. If anything, there's a cold, calculative look in Sera’s eyes. The question had been tossed between them almost casually, as if no thought was given to the statement.

He doesn't mean to be so harsh when he demands, “What the fuck are you talking about?” He just can’t make sense of what’s prompting this sudden conversation.

Sera sighs, avoiding his gaze. She doodles in the margins of her notebook. “I don’t know,” she murmurs, scribbling something out. “You just… do you ever think we should just _ stop_? Go out and meet other people.”

“Who am I going to meet?” Jihoon asks incredulously. He’s an idol – if he’s caught going on a date with anyone else, there’ll be scandals popping up faster than he can say _ kicked out_. The only reason Pledis hasn’t decided to come between the two of them now is because they know Sera and keep heavy tabs on her, not to mention she’s been around since before they really became famous. She’s the best friend of one of the members and dating another; the last thing she’ll do is ruin their careers.

“I don’t know,” she says blankly, shooting him a hesitant smile. “Someone… better?”

The funny thing is that he _ can’t _ imagine meeting anyone better. Sure, she’s not the ideal person to date, but Jihoon thinks she’s perfect for him. She’s not overly clingy or whiny, she gets the crazy hours he works and she’s perfectly fine having stay-in dates and being unable to flaunt her boyfriend.

Isn’t she?

Jihoon’s mouth feels dry. There’s so many things he wants to say, but he can’t find the words for it. He never thought about how _ she _ was handling all this. What if she didn’t want the secrecy and sneaking around anymore? No one in their right mind would _ want _ a relationship like this. Something awful roils in his stomach and it lurches. The blood drains from his face and it’s obvious from the way Sera winces.

“Sorry,” she whispers, sounding uncharacteristically small. “You’re upset.”

“Damn straight I’m upset,” he snaps. He can’t breathe, his chest constricting from panic. “Do you – do you _ want _ to break up?”

“God, _ no_!”

“Then why – why did you – what the fuck – ”

His head feels light, his breaths coming quick like he can’t get enough air. The panic is plastered on her face too, chair clattering as she rushes towards him. Her cool hands cup his cheeks, lips forming his name over and over; he can’t hear her, the rushing of his blood much too loud in his ears.

Jihoon isn’t known to be dramatic, but he can’t imagine life without her. It’s hard to imagine not waking up to some stupid message sent at an unreasonable hour. If (_ when – no, _ if_, it has to be _if) she leaves, he won’t know what to do with the empty spaces she’ll leave behind.

“Jihoon, look at me,” she pleads, eyes wide from fear. He tries to calm his breathing, but his head is too loud and _ she’s going to leave _ and it’s too much to handle. He doesn’t know – why would she say that? “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please be okay. I’m sorry I said that, I take it all back.”

There’s a commotion at the doorway and he can feel a presence at the entrance to the kitchen, Sera moving to make way for Seungcheol. Jihoon grasps for her blindly, gripping her wrist as hard as he dares.

“Don’t go, please don’t go,” he says desperately. She kneels, hand on his knee while Seungcheol tries to talk him down enough for him to breathe without getting dizzy.

“What happened?” Seungcheol asks in his stern leader voice.

Sera’s expression falls even more, guilt splashed across her face. “I – I said some things,” she whispers, flinching at the sharp look his best friend shoots her. “I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologising,” Jihoon rasps. The two closest people in his life jump, eyes sharp and worried. “Hyung, leave us alone.”

Seungcheol hesitates, but gives him a curt nod. The leader shoots Sera a look that has shame crawling up her chest. It makes her feel hollow inside. She doesn’t dare move from her perch, half-worried Jihoon will collapse like he’s been threatening to every time he works on SEVENTEEN’s newest album.

Neither of them say anything for a while. This silence is uncomfortable, grating on both their nerves. It’s ironic, seeing as how they can hear the rest of the band in the living room, watching TV and joking around. The joy can’t seem to pierce the atmosphere between the two of them.

“Why did you say that?” he asks, repeating himself when all Sera does is turn away and avoid his gaze. “_Hey_. Answer me.”

There’s a pause, then she’s mumbling something under her breath. “Not good enough,” is the only thing Jihoon can make out.

He lets out a heavy sigh, slumping in his seat. He squeezes her wrist before letting go. Of course, this was bound to happen. The rational thing would be to let her go – he supposes he can live his life being awkward with Sera. She’s friends with Seokmin, but she’s also respectful enough to know when to stop. He just hopes it doesn’t get in the way of their friendship. But he refuses to give up this easily.

“What can I do?” he asks tentatively. That is enough to get the younger to look up at him. “If I’m not good enough… how do I be better?”

“It’s not you.” Jihoon’s expression crumbles and Sera curses. “No, god. You’re perfect. It’s _ me_. I’m not good enough for you, oppa. You deserve so much better.”

This time, the silence is filled with incredulity. Who the _ fuck _ would tell his girlfriend she’s not good enough for him? He sees red, ready to hunt the bastard who’d tell her she didn’t deserve him (_he was the one who didn’t deserve her patience, her presence, _her) and knock his teeth in until he’s still spitting out teeth in his old age.

“No one,” she answers weakly. She’s clearly lying, but he’ll let it slide for now. “I – you know I never went to an arts high school. I played piano for four years, but I was shit at it. God forbid you seeing me trying to dance seriously. You… you’re good at _ everything_. You – ” her voice falters, “you deserve someone who can keep up with you.”

“_You _ keep up with me.” Jihoon takes her hand in his, clasping it like a lifeline. “You’re the only one who’ll put up with my moods. You don’t care that you can’t see me all the time, that we have shitty dates at the company, that we spend more lazy days in bed than going out there _ doing things_.”

She scrunches her face, blinking away tears. “I like those dates,” she admits quietly. “Because you’re there. But I don’t think I’m enough…”

“You are. You’re always enough.” He laces their fingers together, willing her to see just how perfect they are together. “You fit. _ We _ fit. My life won’t be the same if you leave.”

“I’m sorry,” she croaks, throwing herself into his arms. Jihoon doesn’t say anything when she starts crying into his shoulder, shoulders shaking from the force of her crying.

That’s it, he thinks. He settles her in his lap, letting out a pained grunt as he lifts her. There’s a moment when he thinks he’ll drop her, but she merely clings to him. Their work can wait.

There are exclamations and yelling as Jihoon carries his weeping girlfriend past the living room to the bedrooms, but he pays them no attention. He does, however, shake his head at Seungcheol, who holds Seokmin back. The vocalist looks furious, affronted at the way one of his best friends is crying in his team leader’s arms. Warmth settles in Jihoon’s chest; at least he knows that even if things between him and Sera don’t work out, she’ll always have Seokmin (and the rest of SEVENTEEN) to watch her back.

Jihoon kicks the bedroom door shut, unperturbed when he hears scrambling at the door. Sera’s sobs have quietened to sniffles, but he doesn't dare let her go. He needs to fix this – needs to know why she's sad so he can start knocking teeth in. He doesn't care if he can get in trouble; no one gets to hurt his girlfriend like this and get away with it.

“What happened?” he murmurs, brushing a stray tear away. Jihoon _ hates _ tears, if only because they make him feel helpless. “Jagiya, talk to me.”

Sera lets out a tearful chuckle, leaning into his touch. “You never call me that,” she snorts softly. In a quieter voice, she adds, “It’s nice.”

“You want me to call you jagiya? I'll do it,” he says hastily, uncaring about the tinge of desperation in his voice. “I won't call you anything else.”

She chuckles again, but it sounds less sad. “Don't do that, silly oppa,” she chides, tucking herself under his chin. She noses along his neck. “I'm sorry I said that. I'm sorry I cried.”

“Stop apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong.”

There's a heavy pause. Sera takes a deep breath. “I don't want to break up with you,” she murmurs. “I like you too much. I just wish… I was better for you.”

“I like you,” Jihoon insists, rubbing her arm gently. His girlfriend lets out a happy little sound. “You don't need to change. Don't change.”

She looks up at him. There are tears lingering on her eyelashes. Her nose is red from crying and her face is a little puffy. There's dried snot on her philtrum. Sera honestly looks ugly – she doesn’t cry pretty – but he’s still attracted to her.

“Even if I can't tell you the relative major of B-flat minor?” she rasps. Her voice sounds like she’s run it through a blender.

A small smile quirks his lips and he leans down to kiss her forehead. “Especially because,” he assures her.

They settle in silence, Sera reaching up to play with the ends of his freshly dyed blonde hair. They’re starting promotions for their new album soon. It’s technically a repackaged album this time but Jihoon was still nervous, from the first recording until now. He just hopes he doesn’t let the fans down.

“It'd be too troublesome to break up, anyway,” Jihoon muses. Sera shifts, raising an eyebrow. She frowns lightly, snorting when he pokes the furrow between her eyebrows.

“I guess so,” she concedes. “I’d have to toss out all your things, delete your number, plan meetings with Seokmin so I don't see you…”

“Let's not break up,” he announces after a beat. “Like ever. There's too much of you in my life to erase.”

“Same.” A fond smile touches her lips. “Let’s not break up.”

In some ways, Sera guesses it's his way of saying he cares. Jihoon’s a Gyeongsangdo man through and through, but there are just some things he can't be blunt about; his feelings being in the top three. It's fine, because she doesn't know how to say she cares about him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yea this is basically where the fic summary came from uwu i'm not some mastermind ngl and also they're saps so obviously they're not going to break up
> 
> if you love jihoon/the thought of dating jihoon/being awkward with jihoon as much as i do, then feel free to hit me up on [twitter](https://twitter.com/serraminiauthor) or [tumblr](http://minteayoongimakesmewoozi.tumblr.com/). if you're interested in my svt-centric writings (or if you think i should move this to my svt blog uwu) then send me an ask over at [writing blog](http://svt-writers-club.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> i also have a [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/authorinprogress) if you have some spare cash you want to donate to me :3


	5. Get It In Gear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon's not really _jealous_. Of course not. Why would he be jealous? It's not like he likes Sera. Nope, not at all.
> 
> But... why the hell are Sera and Mingyu so friendly now? (He's still not jealous.)

Jihoon is not upset. He really isn’t.

A sharp  _ snap _ fills his ears and he looks down at his hand, where another pencil has been broken in half. Whoops.

Seungcheol grabs another replacement pencil from the small pile next to him and slips it into Jihoon’s loosening grip. The broken halves of the pencil clatter to the floor. “Here,” he says distractedly, crossing something out from his notebook. “That’s the sixth one today.”

In lieu of a response, Jihoon grunts. He glances up, shooting a sharp glare at where Sera and Mingyu are having a conversation. Sera throws her head back as she laughs, nearly braining herself on the practice room mirror when Mingyu hits himself in the face with a water bottle.

It’s been like that for the past month or so. As their  _ Akkinda _ promotions wrap up, they’re finding themselves with more free time. Sera’s been dropping by more lately too, sometimes with food and other times with homework and more drinks than she can carry. The problem isn’t Sera dropping by – in fact, it’s the opposite of a problem – but the fact that of all people,  _ Kim Mingyu _ has been hanging around her incessantly. It’s starting to get on Jihoon’s nerves.

The vocal team leader jerks when Mingyu, in an uncharacteristic show of boldness, reaches forward and brushes a stray lock of hair out of Sera’s face. She looks vaguely hostile, but there’s an unmistakable blush on her cheeks. Jihoon sees red for a moment.

_ What the fuck is going on? _

“Did you see that?” he demands. Seungcheol, to Jihoon’s utter disbelief, merely glances at the two ninety-seven liners and shrugs.

“See what?” Seungcheol questions. The producer is ready to commit murder.

“ _ That _ !” He gestures violently at Mingyu and Sera, who are sitting next to each other while sharing a pair of earphones. “When did that happen?”

Seungcheol blinks slowly. He turns to his best friend, lips turned down in a frown. “What’s wrong with it?”

“What’s wrong with it? Well – it’s – ” Jihoon sputters, mind going five hundred miles a limit. “Mingyu’s too tall!”

“Mingyu’s… too tall,” Seungcheol repeats. His lips twitch; the elder looks dangerously close to smiling. Jihoon is affronted in advance. “If you’re jealous, just say so, Jihoonie.”

“ _ Jealous? _ I – pfft – why would I be  _ jealous _ ?” The younger spits the word, ears scarlet from anger or embarrassment, Seungcheol can’t be sure. “Don’t be stupid, hyung.”

“Yah, show some respect.” The hip hop team leader rolls his eyes. “They’re just talking, Jihoonie. It’s not a crime.”

_ Yes, it is _ , Jihoon wants to shout.  _ Mingyu doesn’t get to talk to Sera like that! _

Instead of voicing anything, he simply glowers. Seungcheol snorts, patting the top of Jihoon’s head. The younger lashes out, smacking Seungcheol’s hand repeatedly so he doesn’t repeat the gesture any time soon. It’s almost cat-like, he realises belatedly, but he can’t be bothered about that now. All he cares about is that Kim Mingyu is getting  _ way _ too close to Sera and that – well, that just won’t do.

The producer throws his pencil down onto his notebook, before grabbing both items. He stalks towards the two ninety-seven liners single-mindedly, glaring something awful at the taller. Mingyu looks up, grin freezing as he notices Jihoon storming towards them the way a lioness would a gazelle.

“Do you two mind?” Jihoon snaps, arms crossed tight against his chest. He doesn’t look very intimidating, bundled up in his biggest, most comfortable hoodie and pink hair only accentuating how cute he is, but the two flirty ninety-seven liners still share an anxious glance.

Sera starts packing up her things, having a non-verbal conversation with Mingyu. It does not make Jihoon happy at all. “I’ll head off first, then,” she says brightly, tugging the earbud out of her ear and handing it to Mingyu. The touch lingers; Jihoon’s nostrils flare in displeasure. He thinks Mingyu pales further, but he’s not entirely sure. “Mingoo, tell Seokmin that I’m – ”

“You, stay,” he says shortly. Sera blinks up at him, frowning slightly. He turns to Mingyu, who definitely gulps this time. “You. Tall one. Get lost.”

“Tall one,” Mingyu sputters, but he doesn’t get a chance to protest before he’s shoved out of the way. He falls over with a squawk, falling to the hardwood floor face-first.

Sera simply watches in awe as Jihoon plops down in the empty space he created, pulling his hood up and acting like this was a normal occurrence. She clears her throat, turning to him. “Do we… need to talk?” she says cautiously, ducking so she can look at his face.

“No,” Jihoon answers stubbornly, curling into himself even more. “Don’t worry about it.”

She pauses. She presses her lips together. “You just pushed Mingyu and told him to go away.”

“I do that all the time.”

“No, you don’t,” Mingyu interjects, clutching his abused nose. “What the  _ fuck _ .”

Jihoon barely spares his younger bandmate a glance. “I thought I told you to leave.”

“I'm going, I'm going,” Mingyu yelps, grabbing his things in a hurry. “See you tomorrow, Sera.”

She waves at him distractedly, still staring down Jihoon. “Oppa, you've been acting weird lately.”

“I have not,” Jihoon replies haughtily, even though he's well-aware he's been acting out of character.

Sera’s lips thin further. “If you have something to say, just say it. Don't beat around the bush. It doesn't suit you.”

“Really, Kim Mingyu?” the producer explodes, unable to hold it in anymore. “You could do so much better!”

She raises an eyebrow. “Like who?”

“Like  _ me _ ,” Jihoon sputters, throwing his pencil to the ground. It clatters noisily on the hardwood floor, almost loud enough to mask the beating of Jihoon's heart. “That idiotic  _ tree _ wouldn't know how to treat you right.”

“That idiotic tree is your band member,” she points out, corners of her lips twitching. “And he's also my friend.” After a pause, she let's a grin bloom on her lips. “Is it really that hard for you to admit you like me?”

Jihoon exhales loudly, the vice around his chest loosening enough for him to breathe. He's almost  _ relieved _ he didn't have to put it into words himself. “ _ Yes _ . I hate feelings.”

Sera nods, putting away the rest of her things. “Me too,” she agrees, taking his pencil before it rolls away further and handing it to him with an intentional brush of their fingers. “I like you too, oppa. I'll see you tomorrow.”

Jihoon watches silently as she leaves the practice room. Once the door shuts behind her, he lets his body go limp as he slides down the mirror.

“Oh my god,” he groans, burying his face in his hands.

Seungcheol unhelpfully cheers from where he had been watching the entire thing. “That went better than expected,” he chirps.

“That went horribly,” Jihoon moans, voice muffled by the floor.

  
  


“That went better than expected,” Seokmin comments, grinning down at Sera, whose red face is buried firmly in her knees.

“It's so embarrassing,” she whines, slamming her forehead down on her knee caps. “ _ I like you too, oppa _ ? God, just shoot me dead where I stand!”

“I don't think Jihoon hyung would appreciate that,” Seungkwan notes idly, patting Sera’s back consolingly. “I think it was a good enough that you got him to admit he likes you! Kind of.”

Mingyu huffs, crossing his arms as he sits next to Sera, his knee knocking into the side of her head. It's a testament to her embarrassment that she doesn't even react.

“I nearly died!” the tall rapper protests. “You should've seen the way he looked at me. I thought he was gonna bite me or something!”

“Your sacrifice is duly noted,” Wonwoo says drily, flicking the side of Mingyu’s head. “Well, this is only phase one. Phase two is to get Sera and Jihoon on an actual date so they can  _ actually _ talk about their feelings. Like actually sit down and talk about their feelings. In great detail.”

“Kill me now,” Sera moans, shoving at Mingyu half-heartedly.

“This is going to be fun,” Seokmin says gleefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's not that i didn't have this written up, it's just that i kept forgetting to update :3c if you're wondering why this goes all the way to akkinda era, it's because this fic was roughly started around then and i'm just now uploading it because idk what a cringe culture is, but i know what self-shipping is uwu
> 
> if you love jihoon/the thought of dating jihoon/being awkward with jihoon as much as i do, then feel free to hit me up on [twitter](https://twitter.com/serraminiauthor) or [tumblr](http://minteayoongimakesmewoozi.tumblr.com/). if you're interested in my svt-centric writings (or if you think i should move this to my svt blog uwu) then send me an ask over at [writing blog](http://svt-writers-club.tumblr.com/).


	6. I Kissed A Girl (and i liked it)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon isn't really one to celebrate anniversaries, but maybe he'll make an exception for Sera.

They’ve had their first kiss.

It was nothing special. Sera had snuck him into the back of his dorm building and she’d delayed leaving until he finally leaned down and pecked her lips. She had gone bright red,  _ he _ had gone bright red and she had bolted, leaving Jihoon hot-cheeked and happy.

Of course, being an idol means they don’t really get much else past those innocent little pecks. Not that he’s saying he doesn’t like it. He  _ does _ . But, well, he  _ is _ a young, healthy adult. And his girlfriend  _ is _ kinda… you know, pretty (or really pretty, like out of this world pretty and he’s not even entirely sure what she’s doing with him when she could do so much better).

So, yeah. Their hundred day anniversary is coming up soon – well, their hundred day anniversary after Jihoon finally got the guts to put a label on their awkward dance of dating and flirting and being too shy to even hold hands in private, let alone in front of the guys. They promised not to make it a big deal, but Sera's still coming over and he still wants to do something special.

He does have something special planned. Well, special for them anyway. Jihoon ordered food from their favourite Italian restaurant and he even has a nicely set out table outside the recording studios. The guys are going to leave them alone and Jisoo got him some candles to set the mood. Something that smells nice, but not too strongly. To set the mood.

God, Jihoon feels like a nervous wreck.

It's not the first time they've had dinner together. It's not even the first time they've had dinner alone. Yet, it feels different. Sera shows up in an oversized sweater and ripped jeans and something in Jihoon settles at the familiar look. His nerves settle as she leans up – just a little – to kiss his cheek, eyes widening at the effort he put into today's dinner.

“You shouldn't have,” she scolds, but her smile is mischievous when she pulls out a small box out of her bag.

“ _ You _ shouldn't have,” he retorts, pulling her close so he can plant a kiss on her cheek. It's not wrapped, but there's a silk ribbon tied around the pink box. “This better not have cost a lot.”

She wrinkles her nose, tucking a rose-colored strand of hair behind her ear. She rifles through the bag, making a contented little noise in the back of her throat when she finds a box of tiramisu – her favourite. “Probably not more than all this! You sly asshole.”

Jihoon grins slyly, nudging her into a seat so they can start eating. “Happy hundredth day, Sera-yah.”

Sera's scowl softens into a smile. She reaches out, fingers running through his frizzy brown hair. Jihoon isn't sure,but he thinks he purrs a little. “Happy hundredth day, oppa.”

It's not quite intimate. There's a respectful distance between them, although their knees brush every time they shift. Her eyes sparkle in the lights as she tells him about university. Her laugh is soft and tinkling as he regales her with another recording studio mishap. The food disappears steadily (although Jihoon's sure most of it ends up on his paper plate rather than Sera's – which is fine by him, because all of the cake is going to her and her sweet tooth). It's nice, how they can sit and talk and it's  _ enough _ .

Jihoon doesn't miss the way Sera's eyes dart down to his lips when he licks away a spot of sauce. Her cheeks colour when she meets his gaze and she covers up the awkward pause with a giggle, but the damage has been done.

He finally realises that it's  _ just them _ – no maknaes to bother them, no best friends to distract them and no hyungs butting in to check on them. Heat creeps up Jihoon's neck and his own eyes dart down to Sera's sinfully pink lips; she's been nibbling on them all night, tongue occasionally swiping across her bottom lip out of habit.

Sera clears her throat. Her cheeks are pink and Jihoon's pretty sure it isn't blush. He would tease her about it, but he's pretty sure his ears are just as red, if not redder.

“Open it,” Sera insists, gesturing at the box she'd practically thrown at him earlier. There's a faint tremor in her voice. “I hope you like it.”

_ Even if it was uglier than Seokmin's face in the mornings, I'd love it _ , he thinks fondly.

Jihoon isn't sure what he was expecting, but the simple bracelet isn't it. The silver chain with an oval tag. On the inside are the initials LJH and the day Jihoon asked her to be his girlfriend. It's simple and vague, but there are hearts carved into where the tag meets the sides of the chain.

Sera is definitely blushing now, eyes darting around the empty room. “I was going to put something else, but I didn't want the fans to see and wonder,” she stammers, cheeks crimson. She bites her lip nervously. Her hands are shaking when she pulls the bracelet out of the box; the silver clinks together quietly. “Wh-what do you think?”

Jihoon loves it. He loves that she thought about his job, about the regrettable secrecy of their relationship and how she shows she cares, even without giving him one of those cringy gifts with her initials plastered over it. He loves that she put the date on the bracelet, because she  _ knows _ he'll forget their anniversary unless it was somewhere he could see (and he knows she probably has something similar somewhere too, if only because they're the most forgetful pair ever to get together).

He doesn't say anything, but he holds out his left wrist so she can fasten the bracelet around it. Her smile is tremulous but serene as she clips the bracelet onto him. Her touch is gentle as she smooths it over his skin – it's tight enough that it won't fall off, but loose enough that it doesn't feel like a cuff.

“Looks good,” she says lightly. There's a satisfied glint in her eye as her lips quirk.

Jihoon's throat feels tight. His eyes are drawn to her right wrist, where there's a similar bracelet against her tanned skin.

“You're,” he croaks, eyes stinging, “such a sap.”

He can't look away, even when Sera scoffs, “Says the songwriter, who writes  _ love songs _ !” There's a soft creak as she shifts closer. “Are – are you crying?”

“No!” Jihoon blinks, scowling up at her defensively. Her eyebrows are raised and he swears her lips twitch in amusement. “Shut  _ up _ .”

“I didn't say anything!”

She's definitely laughing now. Jihoon scrubs at his eyes – just in case.

“You – you're the worst,” he laments. His bottom lip juts out in a not-pout as he traces the bracelet around Sera's wrist. “Seriously. The  _ worst _ girlfriend I've ever had.”

“I'm the only girlfriend you've ever had,” she teases, wrinkling her nose at him. “It's a pretty low bar I have to cross.”

“The worst,” he reiterates. Worst girlfriend or not, he doesn't protest when she shifts even closer. Her perfume tickles his nose, something musky and subtle that Jihoon doesn't hate.

He thinks it's the way the lights catch in her hair. Or maybe it's the way she laughs with her whole body. Jihoon finds himself gazing fondly at the younger, chest tight and cheeks warm. When she tilts her head up at him, lips pressed into a thin line even as her eyes laugh, he leans down and captures her lips in a gentle kiss.

Sera doesn't respond for a moment, caught off-guard. He pulls away slightly, just enough for some breathing room. Jihoon's eyes are half-lidded as the tension in the air spikes. He can feel her breath on his lips. Sera flushes, colour on her cheeks darkening.

Jihoon's not sure who leans in first, not that it matters. All he knows is that her lips are on his and his hand is tangled in her hair as he pulls her closer. Sera follows easily enough, hand curling in his T-shirt as she brings her chair closer.

There's heat licking up Jihoon's chest. Their lips glide against each other – a little clumsy, a little messy, but frantic and  _ wanting _ . They've never gone past innocent pecks and he's just starting to realise it might be because they're never alone.

“Shit,” Jihoon pants when their lips finally part. They're both breathing heavily. Sera's hair is a ruffled mess, his hand still tangled in the pink tresses. She has a hand in his hair too, tugging slightly as she catches her breath. Her lips are swollen and red – Jihoon's heart jolts when he realises it's because of him.

“Yeah – yeah,” she breathes, clambering out of her seat and into his lap. The chair squeaks alarmingly, but Sera is leaning down to press her lips to his again and it doesn't really matter. The chair will hold.

It's different now, with her this close. Jihoon's drowning in the subtle scent of her perfume. She feels so soft against him like this, his free hand finding its way along her side to fist in the worn fabric of her sweater. Sera lets out a soft sound that lights his nerves on fire. He finds himself digging his fingers in the soft flesh at her hip to pull her closer.

God, why haven't they done this sooner?

“Hey guys, did you –  _ fuck! _ ”

Sera jerks back, a slurred curse slipping from her lips. She nearly topples out of the chair, but Jihoon throws his arms around her waist and pulls her close before she does. The growl that Jihoon lets out sounds positively animalistic.

“What the fuck?” he seethes, turning his furious gaze to whichever unfortunate member thought it was a good idea to interrupt.

Chan gulps, gaze panicked as he resolutely avoids Jihoon's gaze. “I – well – you know – the hyungs – ”

“Spit it out!” Jihoon barks. Sera hums, fingers combing his hair out of his eyes. It feels nice.

“You know what it's not important bye!” the maknae squeaks out. He covers his eyes with his hand, rushing out of the room and letting the door slam shut behind him.

Sera's cheeks are still pink when she slowly makes her way off Jihoon's lap. She looks positively sinful, with her reddened lips and mussed hair. Jihoon's pretty sure he doesn't look any better, if the appreciative look Sera gives him is of any indication.

“Well,” she says in an odd voice, “that was something.”

Jihoon hums, running a distracted hand through his hair. His eyes narrow playfully when she licks her lips distractedly. “Yeah,  _ something _ ,” he drawls leaning back into his chair. “I bet the guys won't bother us for at least another hour.”

Sera has the gall to shoot him an affronted look, even as she carefully wedges herself into his chair and over his lap. “You're a bad influence,” she chides.

He figures she doesn't mind so much, not when her lips are back on his again.

(Chan finds it impossible to look either of them in the eye for at least a month. At least three other members walk in on them in that time. Jihoon stopped feeling embarrassed after the first week. He wonders if Sera ever felt any shame from it – he wagers that she never really had any shame.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is just pure fluff with the slightest smidge of non-pg13 stuff and it's utterly self indulgent. i mean, come _on_, who looks at jihoon and DOESN'T want to smooch his ridiculous face????? well, if you're reading this fic, then clearly you are in the same boat as me and i respect that.
> 
> if you love jihoon/the thought of dating jihoon/being awkward with jihoon/want to scream about jihoon, then feel free to hit me up on [twitter](https://twitter.com/serraminiauthor) or [tumblr](http://minteayoongimakesmewoozi.tumblr.com/). if you're interested in my svt-centric writings (or are also a jicheol connoisseur like me) then send me an ask over at [writing blog](http://svt-writers-club.tumblr.com/).


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